LI NA

All Things Have Spirit

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In Zhuangzi, all beings—whether real or imagined—serve as symbols in which ideas are lodged. Elephants, peacocks, cranes, lizards, spiritual monkeys, tigers and leopards, auspicious birds, and the like all become vehicles of thought: vivid embodiments of philosophical propositions such as the finite and the infinite, the absolute and the relative, the eternal and the momentary, the natural and the man-made.

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The intuitive grasp of experience and the metaphysical refinement of thought constitute the very origin of the aesthetic spirit of Chinese painting. The Eastern spirit of Chinese ink painting is a cultural inheritance that permeates to the marrow, where philosophy, life, the earth, the divine, and history converge. In humanity’s earliest encounters with nature and life, there existed an instinctive sense of reverence, which has profoundly shaped Eastern romantic artistic creation—emphasizing subjective consciousness and advocating a beauty that is tranquil and warm, lush yet profound.

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As a painting practitioner, having studied Chinese painting from an early age, I am thoroughly acquainted with traditional artistic methods. Yet I am also deeply aware that old methods do not automatically yield new meanings. A clear sense of self ensures both continuity with tradition and independence in viewing my own work. Beyond drawing upon the refinement of classical brushwork and compositional principles, what matters more is forging a fresh path—rather than merely reordering a cultural temperament of the past.

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In the creative process, I emphasize the refinement of pictorial language and the pursuit of quality. By integrating traditional visual language and subject matter with expressions of a new era, the potential of painting as a language is expanded and the cultural depth of the work enriched. At the same time, I actively explore materials and techniques, experimenting with new media by combining traditional water-based and mineral pigments with metal materials—such as gold leaf, silver leaf, copper and aluminum foil, and metallic powders. The incorporation of metal introduces a renewed visual experience to the picture plane; it is both a return to beauty and a defense of painterliness. Through this, a distinctive pictorial language emerges—one that is sumptuous and lyrical, tranquil and profound, and immediately recognizable.

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“All things” are vibrant living entities. Like human beings, all things possess spirit. These flowers and birds, beasts and creatures, mountains and rivers, trees and stones—each blade of grass and every blossom—responds to the vital energies of heaven and earth. Gentle breezes carry away countless strands of floral fragrance; every blade of grass and every insect tells of the purity and authenticity of life. Taking “all things have spirit” as the point of departure, and as an artist who invests emotion in the spirit of all beings, I use scenery to express feeling and objects to convey intent—this is the central motif of my painting practice.

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Through artistic devices such as metaphor, symbolism, and associative substitution, accumulated emotions and aspirations from lived experience are entrusted to the work. Through the uniqueness of brush and ink, a unity is achieved among natural carriers, personal language, and poetic realm. The aim is not merely to depict the external form of objects objectively; through emotional projection, the work can both resonate with a broad audience and offer viewers a more expansive field of imagination. Observing all things with a free spirit devoid of ego, each finds its proper place. In the harmonious and warm breathing of all beings, we come to feel both reverence for life and its enduring beauty.